Michael Carrick is set for the Manchester United sack and the ‘favourite’ to replace him at Old Trafford has emerged in the aftermath of their embarrassing 4-1 defeat to Como.

The Serie A side put the visitors to the sword in the Champions League as Nico Paz (two), Anastasios Douvikas and Jacobo Ramón were on target for Cesc Fabregas’ side.

Just a week on from Lisandro Martinez taking aim at technical director Jason Wilcox for his work in the transfer window, Fernandes had a pop at Carrick in his post-match press conference as Eddie Howe waits patiently in the wings.

Fernandes said: “It’s a decision from the staff to not press man to man and sometimes leave space behind and try to get the ball, wait for them, but sometimes when you give space to these teams they get confidence.”

On whether he is saying Michael Carrick got his tactics wrong: “That’s on the manager and staff to see, not me. Sometimes you have to be more brave under pressure, take the risk of pressing high and making them uncomfortable. As you saw with them [Como], the centre-back was coming to mark me in my own half. We need to do that as a team but we were unable to.

“A team that plays through the middle with small connections, if you give them too much time and space then they can hurt you out wide.”

After admitting his side’s performance was “unacceptable” in his post-match interview, Carrick told reporters in his press conference that Fernandes’ comments weren’t accurate, before taking aim at his players for “not running”.

Carrick said: “We actually half-pressed man-to-man the second half and then conceded a goal from that.

“And there’s a little bit on whatever system you play, whatever tactics you play, if you don’t run, and you don’t run forward, and you don’t run back, you ain’t going to win.”

Jamie Carragher ripped into Fernandes for his “disgraceful” comments, claiming the captain has “killed” Man Utd himself as the team “can’t press” while he plays to the crowd.

But the pundit also accepts that the time has come to part ways with Carrick and journalist Alan Nixon has revealed on Patreon that former Newcastle boss Howe is ready to take the reins at Old Trafford.

Nixon claims that Howe is now the ‘favourite’ to take the role as Julian Nagelsmann, Fabian Hurzeler and Antonio Conte join him on what is shaping up to be a four-man shortlist.

After parting ways with Newcastle at the end of the season, Nixon confirms that the Englishman ‘would take’ the job if it was offered to him.